San Mateo-Foster City school trustee resigns suddenly

“There’s so much good in the district but there’s so much that needs to be done and it became increasingly hard to voice my concerns without the fear of saying the wrong thing or being scolded,” Warren said. “It was pretty persistent. I felt really uncomfortable.”

But the other trustees, speaking through board President Alison Proctor in an emailed statement, disputed the claims. Proctor lauded her colleagues, including Warren, with contributing unique perspectives to the board and asserted the four other trustees are both respectful and collaborative.

“Our board is charged with governing and leading the district in a dignified and professional manner, treating everyone with civility and respect, and in accordance with the board-adopted policies and procedures,” Proctor said. “We strongly disagree with any assertion that trustees silenced or lacked respect. Our board is transparent and has a process for ensuring that everyone is allowed to speak, something that is evident in all recordings of our meetings.”

Instead, Proctor said the “disrespectful, unprofessional, and uncivil” behavior was actually coming from Warren who was accused of disrespecting district staff on a number of occasions.

Watkins said she and Proctor were tasked as a subcommittee with investigating Warren’s interactions with the public and staff after they received complaints about her behavior. Through their investigation, Watkins said she and Proctor found enough evidence to justify recommending a formal censure process to the rest of the board.

The measure was going to be placed on the agenda for this Thursday’s meeting but, before doing so, Warren had resigned. She argued the allegations against her were unjustified and raised questions about whether the board followed the legal protocol while pursuing the investigation.

One incident Warren said was used against her occurred while she was advocating for her son who has autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The issue, Warren said, led to a state investigation after five staff members accused Warren of using her role as trustee to gain privileges for her son who has since left the district.

After observing an incident in which her son ran from a classroom upset, Warren said she hired a special education advocate and a special education lawyer to assist her with advocating for her son while honoring her role as trustee. The state investigation found the claims to be unsubstantiated, Warren said, but the advocate learned her son was behind his grade level.

“When I spoke to my son’s teacher, it was as a parent. I did not give up my rights as a parent of a special needs child when I joined the school board. As the parent of a child in the district, I still have the right to speak to my child’s educational team,” Warren said.

While unable to provide details on the complaints received, Proctor and Watkins said more than one incident occurred. Watkins said observations of Warren’s behavior toward staff and other trustees during public meetings also contributed to the decision to pursue a censure.

Proctor also maintains that the board subcommittee and the board as a whole acted in full compliance with the Brown Act and regularly worked with legal counsel when conducting its investigation or holding closed-door meetings in which Warren was being discussed.

Watkins, in email and a phone interview, also raised concerns with Warren pointing to Corzo and Watkins as being the main perpetrators of harm. Their interactions inside and out of meetings were limited but Watkins asserts that she and her colleagues were always professional.

“It’s surprising to me to hear that Lisa expressed specific concerns about her interactions with Trustee Corzo and myself, and indicated that she couldn’t speak her mind and raise concerns,” Watkins said. “Not only are Lisa’s false accusations retaliatory, as the board [was possibly moving to] formally censure Lisa for her conduct, but Lisa is specifically calling out the two women of color on our board which is, quite frankly, unacceptable.”

Warren defended herself against those allegations when presenting her experiences while on the board.

“Calling me a racist is almost too easy. It also distracts from the real issues at hand,” Warren said, arguing the district should focus its work on uplifting disadvantaged students.

The board held a special meeting before its regular meeting Thursday to call a special election to fill Warren’s seat. The at-large election will take place during the general election Nov. 8.

Despite the contentious back and forth, both sides shared well wishes for the other. Proctor said the board is interested in focusing on advancing the district’s goals, highlighting the work being done to establish a community school in North Central San Mateo, signing long-term labor agreements and approving a five-year Strategic Plan.

Warren recognized that work as being vital to the district and said her decision to step away was also partly inspired by not wanting to be a distraction from those efforts. She also lauded Superintendent Diego Ochoa who she anticipates will bring great change to the district.

“I wish them all well. I wish the district well and I can’t wait to see what Superintendent Ochoa has still to deliver. I think he’s an amazing person and so dynamic,” Warren said. “I look forward to seeing how they’re going to evolve.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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